Collapsible boat.



W. H. COX.

COLLAPSIBLE BOAT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 24. I917.

1,227,247. Patented May 22,1917.

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Patented May 22,1917

COLLAPSIBLE BOAT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 24, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- gm Wboz 00 /%//dd//& Af W WILLIAM H. cox, onPORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF 'ro cHARLEs c.

BRICK, 0F SALEM, OHIO.

' COLLAPSIBLE BOAT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 22, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. Cox, a citizen of the United States,residing at Portsmouth, in-the county of Norfolk and State of Virginia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Boats,of which the following is a specification.

1 This invention relates to improvements in collapsible boats, and moreparticularly to structures of this character in which the parts arearranged to be set together and secured in a proper position when fittedfor use, and which presents the various sections thereof in such formthat the bottom, sides, etc., can be folded to take a comparativelysmall shape when brought to the knocked down position.

A'further object of my invention resides in providing means by which theparts are held in the assembled relation, means by which they are bracedto withstand the external pressure of the water and the weight of theload, and means by which a water tight connection is established betweenthe various members at the points of jointure.

WVith the above and other objects in view, my invention consists incertain novel features of construction and combination of parts whichwill be hereinafter set forth in connection with the drawings and thenmore particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a view in side .elevation of a boatconstructed after the manner of my invention and with the partsillustrated in the set-up relation. I

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the disclosure in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3' is a perspective view showing the bottom portion as an entirety.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4 -4 of Fig. 2. I I

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2 and lookingin the direction indicated by the arrow.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through the bottom portionwith one of the sides shown fitted thereto.

Fig. 7 is a view showing the bottom portion partly folded. I I I Fig. 8is a View similar to Fig. 7 but showing the bottom portion folded tooccupy a relatively small space.

Flg. 9 is a detail view showing one of the sides and illustrating themanner in g which the various sections thereof are connectedtogether. Ii

Fig. 10 is a view of the same structure shownin Fig. 9 butillustrating-the members brought to the folded position.

Fig. -11 is a fragmentary detail showing the manner of forming the loweredges of the sides to provide for the fitting'ofthe bottom portion. 7 I

Fig. 12iS-a fragmentary view showing the manner of forming a Water tightjoint between the various members of the side and bottom portion.

Fig. 13 illustrates a detail perspective view to disclose the mannerofmounting the brace portions of the structure.

In its main portion, the structure includes the bottom-and sides, and.it will of course be understood that provision must be made for theestablishment of a water tight connection between the parts and for thesecurement of the sides in such a manner that the completed boat whenset up will have sufficient strength to withstand the pressure of thewater and also the weight of the load as placed within the boat. Thesides 1 and 2, and the bottom 3, are to be made up of a plurality ofsections so connected together that when the parts are brought to theknocked down form, thesections can be folded together after themanner-shown in Figs. S'andlO-and then the parts can be stored or placedin a comparatively small space.

As it is here illustrated the side portions each comprise'the bowmember4, the stern member 5, and the intermediate member, which members areconnected together by the use of hinges as shown at 7 and 8. Thesehinges are so mounted in connection with the members that in the foldingof the Same, the members 4 and 6 will be brought together and the member5 can be folded to rest against the outer side of the member 6, theentire folded thickness being thus presented to have the length onlysubstantially that of the members. If desired, the side portions 1 and 2might be con- Structed to embrace a greater number of members and thuscould be folded to a still smaller space. The bottom portion 3 is madein substantially the same manner as are the sides, and as illustrated,this bottom portion includes a number of members 9 which are connectedtogether by the use of the hinges 10 mounted in such manner that themembers can be folded in substantially the manner illustrated in Figs. 7and 8. It is perhaps preferable that the bottom portion be constructedto include a greater number of the members 9 than there are membersincluded in the construction of the side portion, as each of the members9 represents the entire width of the hull at a point of dispositionalong the length of the boat, and consequently it is desirable that thebottom portion when folded as shown in Fig. 8 be of a width hardlygreater than the width of the side portions 1 and 2 as by forming theparts in this way the bottom portion can be more readily handled and canbe stored or packed to better advantage.

The side portions 1 and 2 have the cleats or strips 12 mounted on theinner side and at'the lower edges, and cleats or strips 11 of a similarnature are mounted upon the side portions and slightly spaced from thecleats or strips 12 to leave substantially a grooved form therebetweenas is better shown in Fig. 11. In the setting up of the boat, the sideportions 1 and 2 will be unfolded and after unfolding the bottom portion3, the edges. of the same will be fitted to be received in. theway-between the strips 11 and 12, and then when the sides are secured inplace, the bottom will be held against displacement and at the same timea tight joint will be provided between the side portions and the bottomportion. A stem-piece 13, is mounted on one of the side portions, and isprovided with a notch 14 adjacent its lower end in line with the wayformed between the strips 11 and 12 so that as the bottom portion 3 isfitted in place, the forward end will engage in the notch and the samesecurement of the bottom portion will be accomplished entirely aroundthe edge thereof. Substantially knee-shaped brace members 15 areprovided to be fitted in the angle between the side portions 1 and 2 andthe bottom portion 3 to give the proper bracing sup.- port to the sidesand to make these brace members removable, the hooks or substantiallyhooked-shaped headed studs 16 are secured in conjunction with the bracemembers and openings 17 are provided in the side portions and the bottomportions to receive these hooks 16in such relation that, the, bracemembers will be held against casual displacement or. accidental removal,Truss rods 18, are mounted through the side portions and 2 at the bowand stern end of the boat hull, and also amidship, and the turn buckles19 are provided to permit these truss rods to be tightened to draw theside portions 1 and 2 tightly against will not be unduly drawn in. Astern transom-piece 21 is provided to form the back of the boat, and thestrips 11 and. 12 are continued up to, provide a way for the receptionof this stern transom-piece. If desired, a skeg 22 may be fitted on theoutside of the bottom portion at the stern, and this skeg can be mountedto be held in place by the use of hooks such as that shown at 16 in Fig.13.

To give water tight joints at the point or line of connection betweenthe side portions and the bottom portion, a thin strip of cork or othermaterial as indicated at 23 in Fig. 11, can be fitted in the way betweenthe strips or cleats 11 and 12, and as the side portions are drawn inagainst the bottom portion, a water tight joint will thus be provided.To insure. that a water tight joint will be accomplished where thevarious members making upthe side and bottom portions are hingedtogether, a strip of cork or other material as indicated at 24 isconnected with the hinged edge of one of the members and is thus soarranged that as thesemembers are swung to the extended position or aposition in which they are fitted to form the boat hull this strip ofpacking material will be compressed between the edges andthus thepassage of water through the crack which would be otherwise formed isprecluded.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a boat structurein which the parts are all arranged to be mounted and connected togetherin knocked down form and that means is provided to secure the variousportions and members in the assembled relation while provision is madefor the establishment of packed joints between the separable portionsand at other points where water might otherwise find its way throughcracks or crevices left due to construction of the parts, and while Ihave herein shown and described only one specific form of the structureand have set forth only certain manners in which the parts might bemanufactured and set up, it will be apparent that a number of changesand modifications might be resorted to in the form and arrangement ofthe several parts as well as in the manner of mounting the same and inthe manner of establishing water tight joints between the parts, withoutdeparting from the spirit and wish to be limited to the exact disclosurebut only to such points as may be set forth in the claims.

I claim 1. A collapsible boat including separate side and bottomportions, braces to be fitted between said bottom and side portions, andmeans to draw the side portions in against the braces and hold the samein the proper mounting.

2. A collapsible boat including a foldable bottom portion, foldable sideportions, braces to be fitted between said bottom and side portions, andmeans to draw the side portions in against the braces and hold the samein the proper mounting.

3. A collapsible boat including side portions, strips mounted adjacentthe lower edges of the side portions and spaced to form waystherebetween, a bottom portion to be fitted at its edges within theways, and means to secure the side portions in the fitted position inrespect to the bottom portion.

4. A collapsible boat including side portions, strips mounted adjacentthe lower edges of the side portions and spaced to form waystherebetween, a bottom portion to be fitted at its edges within theways, means to secure the side portions in the fitted position inrespect to the bottom portion, and means to establish a water tightconnection between said bottom and side portions.

5. A collapsible boat including a foldable bottom portion, foldable sideportions provided with ways on their inner sides adjacent the loweredges, means to secure the bottom and side portions in an assembledmounting, and means within the ways to establish a water tightconnection between the bottom and side portions.

6. A collapsible boat including a foldable bottom portion made up of aplurality of members hinged together, foldable side portions eachconsisting of a plurality of members hinged together and arranged to befitted to the bottom portion to be held in place thereon, and means toestablish water tight connection between the various members of thebottom and side portions.

7. A collapsible boat including a foldable bottom portion, made up of aplurality of members hinged together, separate foldable side portionseach consisting of a plurality of members hinged together to becollapsed to occupy a relatively small space and to be capable of beingextended to be fitted to the bottom portion and held in place thereon,means to establish water proof connection between the various members ofthe bottom and side portions, and means to establish a water tightconnection between the side portions and the bottom.

8. A collapsible boat including a bottom portion made up of a pluralityof members hinged together to be foldable to occupy a small space, sideportions also consisting of a plurality of members hinged together andfoldable, strips secured on the members of the side portions to bepresented on the inner side thereof in spaced relation when the sideportions are brought to the extended position and to thus present waysfor the reception of the edge of the bottom,

portion, and means to secure the side portions in conjunction with thebottom portion.

9. A collapsible boat including a bottom portion made up of a pluralityof members hinged together to be foldable to occupy a small space, sideportions also consisting of a plurality of members hinged together andfoldable, strips secured on the members of the side portions to bepresented on the inner side thereof in spaced relation when the sideportions are brought to the extended position and thus present ways forthe reception of the edge of the bottom portion, means to secure theside portions in conjunction with the bottom portion, and braces to holdthe side portions in the proper relation with respect to the bottomportion.

10. A collapsible boat including a bottom portion made up of a pluralityof members hinged together to be foldable to occupy a small space, sideportions also consisting of a plurality of members hinged together andfoldable, stripssecured on the members of the side portions to bepresented on the inner side thereof in spaced relation when the sideportions are brought to the extended WILLIAM H. cox.

Witnesses:

J os. B. OVERTON, GEO. M. OVERTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. 0.

